Vandersteen 2c vs Thiel CS2

NEW Model 2Ce Signature III.  The Model 2 always sets the sonic standard at this price and this 8th upgrade is no exception. This model maintains the category's iconic status while retaining its Made in the USA standing. This gain incorporates new crossover components and eliminates the very seldom employed contour controls.

Cool, cool. I hope to hear these sometime. My Sig IIs were first generation (2008). At RMAF ~6 years ago, RV told me he had upgraded the midrange drive in the 2. Such a great speaker for the price, and made in USA.
I keep dreaming that Vandersteen will have a model 2 with a carbon midrange for $5K.

I cannot believe that you’d like both in the same system

I went from Thiel CS1.6 to Vandersteen 2Ce Sig II to Thiel CS2.4SE. I’ve been increasingly happy at each stop. When I first got the 2.4s, the midrange had a "glassy" quality but otherwise were a step up from the Vandies. There was evidence that the previous owner overheated a couple of resistors. I replaced all the OEM sandcasts with Mills MRA-12s and that pretty much cleared up that issue. I have since completely replaced every passive part from the binding posts to the driver hookup wire. Now, I’m super happy and, other than bass extension and definition, hear them as nearly as good as the very best I’ve heard (Vandersteen 7, TAD Ref One, Vivid Giya, Avalon Ascent).

During my rebuild, I heard an opinion that Thiel’s practice of using 1 uF bypasses contributed to a "tizzyness". So, maybe that’s the cause of the claimed Thiel treble issue? According to this source, bypasses should either be 1% or less or all-in (eg, >25%).

Regardless, I liked Vandersteen and Thiel in my system/room.